Preventing Hip Fractures with Plant Foods

Remember the classic Popeye cartoons? Did you notice that
Popeye never seemed to age? Sure, he was only a cartoon character,
but there's more to the story. Chances are, if Popeye had
been a living, breathing human being, he would have faced
injury and aging better than many of us do.

What could account for this youthful vitality? Perhaps it's
the fact that Popeye ate his spinach. Dark green leafy vegetables,
like spinach and broccoli, are rich in vitamin K, which may
help reduce hip fractures as we age. In a recent study in
the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, individuals
with the highest daily vitamin K intake had a significantly
lower risk of hip fracture compared with those with the lowest
intake. Bone mineral density (BMD) was not influenced by vitamin
K intake, suggesting an independent protective effect on bone
strength from vitamin K.

We're subject to a variety of physical changes as we get
older, and to a point there's not much we can do about it.
However, considerable evidence (including this study) points
to the value of proper nutrition and exercise in delaying
or minimizing the consequences of aging.